Caravan is the short van, Grand Caravan is the long van, 6 inches longer in wheelbase and 11 inches longer overall. Caravan SE ($18,380) is the base model powered by a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. It comes with hand-crank windows, manually adjusted mirrors, and a limited list of options, although rear-seat video entertainment is now available on all Caravan models. It does have standard air conditioning, variable intermittent wipers, AM/FM/CD stereo, and 215/70 tires on 15-inch steel wheels. The tire-pressure monitor is standard, but Stow'n Go seats are not available. Caravan SXT ($22,225) is the short van equipped with a 3.3-liter V6 and a higher level of standard equipment, though it does not get Stow 'n Go. SXT does add second-row bucket seats, dual-zone manual air conditioning, tilt steering, cruise control, power windows, power heated mirrors, power locks with remote keyless entry, an upgraded AM/FM/cassette/CD stereo, a rear window defroster, sunscreen glass, 215/65 tires on 16-inch aluminum wheels, and other niceties, plus an expanded list of options. Grand Caravan SE ($22,920) is a long-wheelbase base model similarly equipped to the Caravan SE. But it's powered by the 3.3-liter V6 engine, and comes with more sophisticated airbags with Occupant Classification System (OCS) and driver's side inflatable knee blocker. It also comes with a rear defroster, speed control, tilt steering column, four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, and a few other appointments not included in the short-wheelbase SE. Standard second-row seating reverts to a bench with covered storage bins, although Stow 'n Go is optional. Grand Caravan SXT ($26,680) is powered by a 3.8-liter V6 and comes standard with Stow 'n Go, along with second-row adjustable seats, a 60/40 split third-row bench with tailgate feature, dual power sliding doors, fog lamps, three-zone air-conditioning system, roof rack, eight-way power driver's seat, leather-wrapped steering wheel, steering-wheel audio controls, and an overhead console with trip computer and HomeLink universal transceiver. Option packages are available in a dizzying array of combinations. Safety features that come standard include the required front airbags, which feature multi-stage inflators designed to automatically compensate for the severity of an accident. Front seatbelts use pre-tensioners to take up slack during a collision. Middle- and third-row seats include child-seat anchors for a more secure installation. Optional side curtain airbags are designed to offer head protection for outboard occupants in all three rows.
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